Detective Comics 526

Detective Comics 526
May 1983

All My Enemies Against Me!
by Gerry Conway, Don Newton, Alfredo Alcala

Anniversary: Batman's 500th Appearance in Detective Comics

Batman teams up with Catwoman and Talia to fight a platoon of super villains who have teamed up to kill Batman. Robin (Dick Grayson) and Batgirl team up to track down Killer Croc. Jason Todd makes his 5th or 6th appearance overall and his first appearance in costume, dressed like Robin without officially being recognized as Robin.

This is the culmination of a story that began a few issues back. I have not read those issues but there are a number of editor's notes that make references to recent events in issues of Detective Comics (522), Batman (358,359), as well as a few older issues.

The issue flows fairly quickly considering that the story is over 50 pages long. It is mostly action and dialogue. There are a couple of moments that carried an emotional impact. Both had to do with the fate of Jason's parents. The first occurs when Dick Grayson discovers theirs bodies and the second when Jason Todd finds out they were murdered.

I liked the team of Selina, Talia, and Bruce. At this point the two women were rivals for his affection. The first time they meet they start fighting but they seem to declare a truce after that. The civilian attire they are shown wearing at the end of the issue seemed out of character for both women.

The issue ends with Jason coming to live at Wayne Manor. This is pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths and thus before Jason developed a dark streak that eventually led to his death in A Death in the Family.

This is one of 5 anniversary issues that dropped in early 1983:

• Detective Comics 526
• Adventure Comics 500
• Legion of Super-Heroes 300
• Action Comics 544
• Brave and the Bold 200

I also own copies of Legion of Super-Heroes 300 and Action Comics 544. I have yet to read that issue of Legion. I have never read the other two comics and do not own copies of them. I recently bought a digital copy of the first collection of Batman and the Outsiders which includes the story from Brave and the Bold 200. Detective 526 is available digitally through Comixology. I was lucky to find a print copy in F+ condition for $1 recently at a convention. At MCS, even in VG condition, this comic costs close to $10. In NM condition I think it goes for more like $25.